Do you let the shamash burn out when you light Chanukah candles?

Answer by  mjl10 (282)

Normally you let the shamash, or master candle, burn out with all the other candles. This is largely due to the shift away from oil burning menorahs or channukiot (which more closely mirrored the story of the Maccabees and their oil lasting for 8 days) towards regular wax candles with a wick.

Answer by  notenoughfacts (257)

The Shamash candle, the helper that lights the other candles burns out each night with the other candles. Each night a new Shamash is used to light the new candles for the particular night. A single Shamash candle does not have to last for the eight nights of Chanukah, it is replaced each night.

Answer by  apple (447)

We let the shamash burn out instead of blowing it out.